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Friday, August 28, 2009

Mother's Birthday

Mom was born on August 28, 1908 in Hartman, Colorado. Or maybe it was August 27. So near to midnight, no one checking the exact minute, that the date was never certain. By the time someone looked at the clock it was the 28th, so that is the day on which she always celebrated her birthday. Today marks the 101st anniversary of her birth, and she was taken from us eighteen years ago.

Mama taught me to read by reading to me. She mopped my fevered brow when I was too sick to move. She taught me the basic principles of right and urged me to shun the wrong. She sometimes switched my little legs when I misbehaved. She patched and laundered and ironed the clothing; she cooked the meals and canned the produce for the winter months. She prayed for her children that they would follow the Lord. She set the example.

She was not only a mom, she was a wife, a preacher, a counselor, a teacher. But there are not enough words in the language to convey to you the strength, the character, the love of this woman I called "Mama," and "Mom," and "Mother."